Tennis legend Mats Wilander has backed Novak Djokovic to win his ninth Australian Open title this year.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion said he’d be surprised not to see the Serb on the champion’s podium at the Melbourne Park this year as he would be “very, very hard” to beat.

Novak Djokovic in the race for most Grand Slams with Federer and Nadal

With 17 Grand Slam titles under his belt, Djokovic is in the race with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for the most number of Major trophies in the men’s game.

Federer and Nadal are currently tied at the top, with 20 titles apiece.

In an interview to a Hungarian publication, the Swede said that if Djokovic has to catch up with his peers in the Grand Slam race and, possibly overtake them, he would have to “make a big deal this year”.

“I would be surprised if Novak didn’t win over the men, it would be very, very hard to beat him,” Wilander said.

He added that it wouldn’t be easy for him to win titles in the coming years as a next generation of superstars are snapping at his heels, bidding to put an end to the Big Three’s hold on Grand Slams.

Djokovic has to make this year a “big deal”, says Mats Wilander

Wilander claimed that the Serb has a good chance of going level with Federer and Nadal.

“I think if he wants to overtake Roger and Rafa, he has to make a big deal this year,” Wilander said.

Reigning US Open champion Dominic Thiem leads the next line of superstars, which also includes Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Diego Schwartzman, Jannik Sinner and Stefanos Tsitsipas, among others.

At 5-7, Thiem marginally trails Djokovic in head-to-head battles and got the better of the Serb at the ATP Finals in London last year.

He also had a chance to beat Djokovic at the Australian Open final last year, but went down in five sets.

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The two might well set up another meeting at the grand final at Melbourne Park this year.